Fabric Strip Rag Doll

                                                                                                             Doll I made  using Batiks

    Looking for something to make to commemorate Pioneer Day in July?  We have just the thing. My 16-year old son came home from Trek with an adorable fabric strip rag doll that he had made in a workshop one day.  He was so proud.  (Thanks to Sarah H. for teaching him)

                Patrick’s Christmas-y doll he made on Trek

Materials:

• For the body: 20 strips of fabric, 1 -1/2 inch wide, in as many colors as you wish, cutting the full 44-inch width of fabric.  (You may trim the length at the end as you desire. I just left mine long)
• For the arms: 10 strips of fabric, coordinating with the dress, 1 1/2 inches wide, 16 inches long.  I just took 5 strips, folded them over to make 10 and cut.
• For the head:  4 extra strips of fabric (color doesn’t matter, as they will not show)
• narrow scraps to tie at head, neck, waist and cuffs.

I have selected Batik prints for my doll.

To begin, stack your fabric strips evenly.

Lay them on a flat surface (yes, my flat surface really is a tie-dyed damask table cloth).

Find the middle and tie with a narrow strip of matching fabric.

 

Roll 4 strips of scrap fabrics into a ball, forming the head  (I neglected to measure the size. Sorry.  It fits in the palm of your hand).

Tuck the ball under the tied middle of your stack of fabrics.

Begin closing fabrics around the ball to cover.    

When you are satisfied with the coverage and the look, form a neck with a narrow strip of fabric and tie off.

Choose 10 fabric strips , 1 1/2 inches wide, for the arms. (I selected 5 and folded them over to make 10.)   Cut so their full length is 16 inches long.

Stack them evenly in an order that suits you, if order is what you want. 

Lay your doll “face up.”  Lift half the fabric strips of the doll and lay your arm stack inside, below the neck.

If you wish, as this step is optional, tie the arm strips in place using a strip of fabric from the doll body in front of the arms and a strip from the fabrics behind the arms (note the two tightened green strips).

Replace the “doll front”  fabric strips over the arm strips. Tie off each “sleeve” with a narrow strip of fabric.

Tie a waist with another narrow strip of fabric.

Tug at sleeves to “poof” them, if desired.

And we are done!!

Have Fun!!   Wouldn’t these be lovely made up in seasonal colors?

Gardens in July

Lush!!  Cantoloupe plants growing in with the yellow Zinnias, Purple zinnias in teh back ground, chinese red noodle beans growing up the poles.  Pumpkin growing next to the blue tire which is housing a pot of Rose Moss and lots of tomato plants in the background.

Chinese Red Noodle Beans

These are so fun to grow!!

Sun and Moon guardians of the Garden

Knik-nak  planter I found at a flea market now holding Rose Moss

The big picture.  I could look at my garden all day.

I thought this was a volunteer Butternut squash but the leaves weren’t quite right!  Pumpkin!!!  Yahoo!!

I love this Bee Balm!  It reminds me of fireworks!

Guardians of the Gardens

The Ghosts of Gardens Past haunt my mother’s squash plants

These are all the birdies that guard against tomato worms.

A warning to all creept, destructive bugs who want to harm my garden…or me…. *;-.)

FHE: Building Zion

The wockenflock in September, 2004, 6 months before my husband died



The word "Atonement" was introduced into the English language in 1526 by William Tyndale as he translated the Greek New Testament into English. He created the word At-one-ment to translate the Greek word for "reconciliation," or, "to come back into a relationship after a period of estrangement."


What does it mean to be "at one?" Consider these circumstances of people who sought it diligently.

• We can find one example in the Intercessory prayer offered by the Savior found in John 17: 20-23: "...that they may be one, as we are one in purpose."
•  "And they had all things in common among them...but they were all made free, and partakers of the *heavenly gift." (4 Nephi 1:3) *( also see "God, gifts of.")
• "And there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.....[no]-ites; but they were in one." ( 4 Nephi 1:15-17)
• "The fear (reverence) of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord...and the Lord called His people Zion, because they were of one heart and of one mind....." (Moses 7:17)

Zion being the city that was so righteous it was taken up unto the Lord, ask your family members to consider:

• what it might take to be of one heart and of one mind within the family, within society.
• what they can do as individuals to be one.
• what might be done as a family to be of "one heart and of one mind."

How to build a Zion Society (according to an over-30 Institute class I was in), being At-one:

1. Be aware of our reactions-- We will be judged according to how we react, and respond, to the actions of others, what they do to us, or what we see them do to others (for good or for bad). The great instructions can be found in the scriptures during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:33-48) It is written that if we love only those who love us, what reward have we? The Romans had the power, by law, to compel a Jew to carry something of theirs for a mile, but no further than a mile. The Jew was required, by law, to comply. Naturally it was a sore point with the people. Jesus taught the people to go with a Roman "twain," or two miles. Ask your family members to consider, truly, the teachings of Jesus here and how abiding by them would help build a Zion society and family.
2. Be willing to suffer wrong-- throughout the scriptures the Savior was the example of suffering wrongs. (search out and select what scriptures would work for your family here) He was wrongly accused; He was wrongly arrested; He was wrongly punished and wrongly executed. He was mocked by those whom He was sent to teach and be a Savior for. Joseph Fielding Smith also taught, "It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong." Forgive. Consider the people of Ammon, who preferred to bury their swords and be killed, rather than stain their own swords ever again with the blood of their brothers. (Alma 24-25) Discuss this topic, suffering wrong, within your family, how it might feel to just suffer being wronged.
3. Refuse to take offense --"Cease to contend one with another, cease to speak evil of one another. Let thy words tend to edifying one another" (D&C 136:23-24). Ask your family what this scripture means and how these teachings can apply to your daily family life.
4. Use humor to change the mood of a conflict-- ask your family to role play any conflict you can dream up and how to deal with it gracefully but it must be done without mocking.
5. Use unconditional love--detach yourself from negative emtions. People are responsible for their own actions. In Helamen 14:30-31 we learn, "Whoso perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself...ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or ye can do evil and have that which is evil restored unto you." We do not have to identify with, respond or act accordingly when people behave badly in our company. President Spencer W. Kimball taught to be understanding when others make mistakes. "We can show forth our love for others even w hen we are called upon to corret them. We need to be able to look deeply enough intothe lives of others to see the basic causes for their failures and shortcomings. Jesus saw sin as wrong, but also was able to see sin as springing from deep and unmet needs ont eh part of the sinner. This permitted Him to condemn the sin withouth condemning the individual." (Ensign, Aug 1979, 5) How might this knowledge change how we respond to people of the world and within our families?
6. Use friendly persuasion--not control or manipulation. Our great lesson on proper dominion is found in D&C 121: 35-46. I use vs. 41-42 specifically here. "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge; which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocricy, and without guile." (hypocricy meaning acting, pretending) Discuss what these passages mean and how they affect behavior, building a Zion society and family.
7. Obedience -- Consider the Charity verses, what each verse means, really and discuss them with your family. Read them slowly, verse by verse. How might they be applied to their lives as individuals, as a family and within society? ~ Charity suffereth long ~ and is kind.~charity enviety not~charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up~ doth not behave itself unseemly or indecently, unbecomingly~ seeketh not her own, but allows other to grow~is not easily provoked~thinketh no evil or does not assume the worst of people~ rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth~ beareth all things~ believeth all things~hopeth all things~endureth all things.
8. "God never bestows upon his people, or upon an individual, superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them" --Brigham Young

Ask your family members what they would like to work on, personally, to build Zion. Write down each response and each week, during FHE, have a time to report on what each person did to build Zion. You may want to decorate a "Zion Box" to store the responses, or what other idea comes to your mind that would work for your family.


Close with "As I Have Loved You" and a favorite dessert--something wonderful that certainly would be served in Zion.

Thought they were Cucumbers, but…

What I thought were volunteer cucumbers growing turned out to be volunteer cantaloupes .  Aww..shucks…  *;-.)

The Chinese Long beans will be ready to pick within days.  They are about 18 inches long now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Guardians of the Gardens

Captain Jack Sparrow now guards my tomatoes

And the Garden Witch on her broom guards my mom’s tomatoes.